About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breathtaking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveler, but anyone else can go and find it, too. More Information can be found on the SideTracked Website.
This cache also qualifies for the Disappearing RR Blues bonus cache. This series highlights the railways of NW Oregon.
About Providence Park MAX Station
(photo from 2004 of the westbound platforms when the station was called PGE Park)
Welcome to Providence Park MAX Station, the first stop on the Westside MAX extension beyond the original downtown terminus. This is one of the most unusual stations on the system, with three platforms on two different streets.
- The eastbound platform sits along SW Yamhill Street.
- The two westbound platforms occupy a private right‑of‑way “triangle” branching off SW Morrison Street as the line heads toward SW 18th Avenue.
Since opening on August 31, 1997, the station has seen several name changes—each tied to renovations and rebrandings of the adjacent stadium:
- 1997–2001: Civic Stadium
- 2001–2011: PGE Park (after the stadium’s baseball‑focused remodel)
- 2011–2014: Jeld‑Wen Field (renovated for the Portland Timbers MLS team)
- 2014–present: Providence Park
Today, the station is served by the MAX Blue and Red Lines and remains one of the busiest stops in the system during Timbers and Thorns matches.
Station Artwork
Westside design team, 1998.
The artists used the surrounding buildings and plaza to highlight the role of public speech and civic life in Portland’s history—fitting for a station once named Civic Stadium.
- Robert Sullivan’s original essay on oratory is etched into stainless steel panels on the systems building
- Bronze podiums in the plaza invite spontaneous speeches
- Punctuation‑mark seating and accents decorate the Yamhill platform
A fun bit of history: the Yamhill platform once bordered the Oregonian printing plant, and its “windows” displayed etched newspaper headlines. That building was demolished a few years ago and replaced with a modern apartment complex, and the headlines are now history.
Station Facilities
- Limited paid parking nearby (and nearly impossible during stadium events)
- Best access: Arrive by MAX
- Difficulty rating reflects heavy muggle traffic, especially on game days